This invention relates in general to apparatus for holding and supporting bags in an open and upright position and is more particularly concerned with such apparatus including telescoping upright members for accommodating bags of different heights, a base portion secured to a lower telescoping member to mount the apparatus in relation to a horizontally disposed surface on which the bottom of the bag rests, and a support head on the upper telescoping member adapted to resiliently engage an upper sidewall portion of the bag in an open and upright position for filling of same with groceries, merchandise or the like.
Paper bags, especially for containing groceries, are usually constructed and fabricated to assume a self-standing upright position when the bag is opened from its manufactured folded condition. The ability of the common paper grocery bag to assume the upright position is obtained by the use of paper exhibiting the appropriate degree of stiffness, or use of multiple layers or gussets, which supply the sidewalls of the bag with sufficient rigidity in conjunction with creases or fold lines which define a suitable self-standing shape for the bag. These paper grocery bags are also provided with a generally planar bottom panel for resting upon a planar surface, such as a checkout counter in the store, which further enhances the ability to freely stand in an open and upright position. It is this ability of the common grocery bag to freely stand in an open and upright position which accounts in large part for its popularity since a store checkout clerk can use both hands in filling the bag with groceries or other merchandise. This affords greater convenience for the checkout clerk and promotes greater efficiency in store checkout operations.
For a number of years, plastic bags have been potentially price competitive with correspondingly sized paper bags. It is of course possible to provide plastic bags with equivalent or greater strength than corresponding paper bags by controlling formation of the thickness of the plastic film before the film undergoes cutting, heat sealing, or other operations to create a plastic bag therefrom. However, even in view of the large number of bags used in grocery checkout operations, plastic bags have not gained significant popularity in these markets. This is apparently due to the fact that, while plastic bags can be made sufficiently strong with thin plastic films in the vicinity of one to two mils, such thin films also contribute to a high degree of flexibility such that the checkout clerk must ordinarily hold the mouth or open end of a plastic bag open with one hand to be able to fill the plastic bag. It is also known to the prior art to form handles or the like into the open end of plastic bags for convenience of the shopper in carrying the bag after it is filled. However, such additional features have not offset the inconvenience and lack of efficiency in filling flexible plastic bags.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide bag holding and supporting apparatus capable of holding and supporting a flexible thin film plastic bag in an open and upright position while the bottom of the bag is resting upon a generally horizontal surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide bag holding and supporting apparatus having a supporting head to resiliently engage a portion of the sidewall of the bag near the top open end thereof in a manner which promotes convenient and efficient insertion and removal of the bag from the supporting head.
Another object is to provide a telescoping upright member in the bag holding and supporting apparatus to accomodate bags of different heights.
A further object of the present invention is to provide bag holding and supporting apparatus which is simple and easy to use and is inexpensive to manufacture.